Why do people hate lawyers?

[academicgirl]

Or why do the media and things like jokes make fun of them? They sometimes have to defend guilty people, but surely they should be represented by someone?

Having known and met several current/upcoming lawyers, I don't think there's anything wrong with them. , but some people really, really hate lawyers.

Why?

(I'm interested in studying Law at uni)

[YungCertified]

Because they try to get guilty people off. You pretty much answered your own question.

[academicgirl]

Because they try to get guilty people off. You pretty much answered your own question.

But surely it's not for awyers to decide who is guilty, but for the justice system. What if someone was innocent, but nobody represented him because everyone thought he was guilty?

[paythebills]

Some (not all) lawyers are only interested in money, not morals. That's probably where their bad reputation comes from.

[fearoflove]

I hate doctors more. So many people go into medical school to be become doctors because of greed. And so many of them are incompetent. I had doctors misdiagnose my illness, gave me all type of wrong drugs to take, and did harm to my health.

[vashti]

I don't hate doctors OR lawyers (I am a nurse, and I have a lot of lawyer friends). The reason so many people hate them though, is that they make a living on other people's misery.

Think about it: a person gets angry when a doctor can't undo a lifetime of self-abuse and hard-living, and so much of medicine is really experimental, because what works for one person doesn't work for another. Also, people act like lawyers have a personal belief in every case they take, but they don't. Their job is to ensure the justice system is working the way it was intended, not to believe every piece of bullshit their clients throw at them. (Certain specialties are also more hated than others.)

And of course, there is the jealousy issue with regards to income.

Some of the most ethical, kindest people I know include doctors and lawyers.

[YoungCosmo]

academicgirl has a lot of points. In fact, lawyers are NOT obligated to defend a guilty client. Many will usually convince the defendants to admit their guilt in order to get a plea bargain. This has the effect of not only ensuring a guilty person goes to jail rather than get off through technicalities as in the movies but ALSO to save court costs by not having continuous trials and other related expenses. It is a very good and valid point that all people deserve to be defended. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford non-retarded counsel so the indigent population usually goes to jail for crimes they didn't commit but can't prove their innocence or even contest the charges because their lawyer is asleep 3/4 of the time or is an alcoholic and shows up drunk (true stories, by the way).

[fearoflove]

Think about it: a person gets angry when a doctor can't undo a lifetime of self-abuse and hard-living, and so much of medicine is really experimental, because what works for one person doesn't work for another.

Yes, medicine is an imprecise science. But that wasn't my point. I am sure not all doctors are incompetent but some are. I have had doctors who didn't do proper examination or didn't do an examination at all when they should have. Made a guess about my condition and gave me the wrong medicine. Sure, one can argue that there are incompetent people in all occupations but for any doctors to be incompetent, it is extremely dangerous considering the nature of what they do.

[michelle23]

The reason people hate them is because they are ruthless, power hungry and make a LOT of money off other peoples pain. Can you imagine a lawyer defending a sexual predator and trying to get him off the hook? Or someone who has just killed 10 different people? They take these cases because they are high profile, they drag on for months and there is a lot of publicity which means they become semi-famous whilst also earning 100's of thousands if not more.

As for small town lawyers who take on minor cases-meh I don't really care. Someone has to defend those people and by law we all have a right to be defended. Plus some of those people are not bad. A lot of the time, it was a minor first time offense and it would be wrong to throw someone who has only been in trouble once or twice in prison with someone who murdered his family..

I really think the prison system is f**ked up. Its wrong. There could be a 19 year old young man who robbed an item of clothing once to survive locked up on the same block a, a bank robber and a mafia Don... Crazy.

They shouldn't be put in the same league. No way. And then sometimes there is a rapist thrown in beside them which is even more f**ked up. They are again in a whole different league

Its wrong to lump all these men in together. Some of them are good men, good heart, a family at home that they love. Some are psychos and predators who will feed off the former's fear..

[HeartIsAching]

Know the difference between a lawyer and a catfish?

One of 'em is a bottom dwelling, scum-sucking, garbage-eating scavenger.

The other one's just a fish.

[YoungCosmo]

Anybody who thinks ALL lawyers are evil is a simplistic moron.

[anonymous..]

If someone killed some one close to you, and a lawyer managed to get them off scott-free, are you telling me you'd just say "well that's just his job"?

[academicgirl]

If someone killed some one close to you, and a lawyer managed to get them off scott-free, are you telling me you'd just say "well that's just his job"?

Legally you couldnt convict him if there was nobody to defend him. It all part of the 'innocent until proven guilty' society we live in. Do you honmestly mean to say youd rather live in a world where suspicion of crime = conviction?

[academicgirl]

Without Lawyers our world would collapse. You should give them a little bit more respect. They're hard working and it isn't easy to get a Law degree.

Morals? The judicial system doesn't work around morals, but logic and reason.

I want to do law, but not criminal law.. Hopefully I won't be as hated as others

[LatinoHeat]

I hate lawyers because I'm too stupid to be one.